Bear scare: hungry animals get closer to people
Published: 29 October, 2010, 05:12
Edited: 30 October, 2010, 04:32
The bear is one of the iconic images of Russia. However, in some parts of Russia the relationship between these animals and people has become less than cordial this autumn.
Probably it was the bears terrority before man decided to encroach on they place of residence.and destroy what they lived on.










Poor bears! They're only responding to 'human pressure' in two ways: the lack of their natural diet of berries, seeds and tasty plants, and, being habituated. The latter means that bears have learnt that humans are almost certainly associated with food ( al fresco eatings, picnics outside of camp sites, rubbish disposal, birds feeding). The habituation of bears isn't normal for them as they're omnivores and their diet should consist of about 80-85% plants/vegetation and the rest is supplemented by small insects or other invertebrates. The animal matter ( animal carcases) isn't vital for bears when there are plant matters in abundance. Young male bears are very 'curious' and indurate travellers - they can cover long distances in search of food and, more importantly for them, claiming and marking their own territory. There are always will be one or two "deranged" bears ready to attack if frightened and confused, more often than not they're afraid of humans. The best and safest way to keep them where they belong to is to identify the "bear population" in forests nearby cities, particularly places with high human presence such as tourists and pleasure destinations. The local authorities should make sure that people are aware of their 'leftovers' (food ) and any cleaning operation must commence without delay as hungry bears don't hesitate to show that they're not too proud to be scavengers. Apart from that, they're indeed Russia's national treasures.